Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun), Bangkok

...Arun also known as the temple of the dawn was something that I had seen on previous visits, but I had never every dot round to paying a visit.

The thing that attracted me was it size, it is massive and can be seen from many places in Bangkok. Not only was the size a major factor but the way it was lit up at night and gleamed during the day made me what to visit.

HISTORY

Wat Arun is a shortened name for ...
...also be know as the temple of dawn or even the olive temple.

This was used as a sanctuary for the King Taskin in the 17th century, this was his royal royal temple and therefore he also named it as the temple of dawn.

The temple itself was built long before Bangkok it's self and has since become Bangkok's vocal point, It is hard to imaging this huge structure being there alone which it would have been at some point, only ... more

INTRODUCTION

The last time I visited Thailand I had a few days stop over in Bangkok, This has always been very tiring on previous visits, so on this occasion I decided to take in some of the spectacular sights and try to avoid the hectic city life.

I had always wanted to see the many temples in Bangkok but I only had time to visit a select few, the Wat Arun also known as the temple of the dawn was something that I had seen on previous visits, but I had never every dot round to paying a visit.

The thing that attracted me was it size, it is massive and can be seen from many places in Bangkok. Not only was the size a major factor but the way it was lit up at night and gleamed during the day made me what to visit.

HISTORY

Wat Arun is a shortened name for the buddhist temple, which was formally know as Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahavihara, this can also be know as the temple of dawn or even the olive temple.

This was used as a sanctuary for the King Taskin in the 17th century, this was his royal royal temple and therefore he also named it as the temple of dawn.

The temple itself was built long before Bangkok it's self and has since become Bangkok's vocal point, It is hard to imaging this huge structure being there alone which it would have been at some point, only being slightly smaller with just the main prang.

It started as one main temple a 79 meter high Prang, but over the years this was extended and highly decorated. It therefore increased in size and four more reasonably large prangs and gardens were added, to make the temple what it is today.

WAT ARUN TEMPLE

Wat Arun is known as the Buddhist temple 'The temple of the Dawn' by locals and was named because when the sun hits it, it is instantly illuminated and all of the multi-coloured mosaics and porcelain reflect the sun light making it glisten and shine. This is a spectacular view by day, but in my opinion it is equally as spectacular at night as the whole temple it lit up and has a slightly pink glow surrounding it.

The main feature a the Wat is the main Prang or tower, this is massive and offers very unique decoration that is very appealing, some of the detail and colours used to decorate the Wat are exceptional. This amazed me as they have taken care of every last detail and it really shows, even after nearly three centuries this place is in pristine condition.

Surrounding the main Prang there are four smaller prangs, these are placed in each corner of the central tower. The smaller towers have statues of Phra Phai who was known as the god of the wind, these do look very dominating at the bottom of each of these prangs but the prangs are equally a beautiful as the central prang.

You can actually walk to the top of the central prang, there are two sets of steps leading all the way up and onto a terrace at the top, here you can take in some stunning sights of Bangkok.

The steps are very steep and narrow, but getting to the top was not a problem if I took it easy the problem was coming down, I had to do this backwards to avoid falling down the whole lot. Once you get to the top you can relax, be warned if you go during the day it is red hot at the top so sun cream will defiantly be needed.

The chapel Phra Viharn is located inside the main prang, here you can see the Buddha in posture. He is made purely of copper and gold and also looks amazing, out side the main temple there are two statues of the temple guardians guarding the entrance the white one is the Sahassateja and the green one is the Tasakanth. These are massive as well and look very scary but I still managed to get a picture with the green one while no one was looking.

Surrounding the temple you can check out smaller buildings located in the gardens, these are used for small museums, libraries, Thai souvenirs, food and drinks, so at Wat Arun you can do a little bit of everything.

LOCATION

The temple can be seen from a distance so you will have no trouble finding it on Bangkok's public transport it can be accessed from Amarin road, but most people will travel by boat to get to the fascinating temple.

Wat Arun Temple situated on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, so if you take a boat you can be taken directly to it. You can pick up the water ferry from the Tha Tian (Wat pho) pier, which is directly behind the grand palace, the temple that is home to the famous emerald Buddha.

I personally did all of the main temples on the one day, I started with Wat Pho the temple with the reclining Buddha, the grand palace home to the famous emerald Buddha and then I took the river boat to the Wat Arun temple of dawn.

PRICE

To visit the Wat Arun it is free for locals but for tourists there is a small charge of 20 Thai Baht, which is roughly 30 pence in English money. You can also spend in the little shops but remember to barter as you get things a lot cheaper.

Be very careful as you will get con artists trying to charge you for thing that are free, for example one Thai man tried to charge 100 baht to take a picture next to a statue. Yes you can donate to the temple but if anyone asks for money do not hand it over.

You can visit Wat Arun everyday from 8.30am to 5.30pm. I you want to see the temple lit up at night the best way to do this is on a dinner cruise, these run from many of the piers and are exceptionally cheap for a great night out.

The prices for the ferries do vary from 2-4 baht for each crossing, but this is sill very cheap compared tot the cost of a local taxi or Tuk Tuk.

OPINION

A spectacular temple that is a must for anyone visiting Bangkok, I would recommend you see it in the day and night as they are both offer some superb sights of this temple. I would also recommend you take a camera as this is a photo opportunity not to be missed.

I thought that Wat Pho was amazing but this temple certainly knocked spots off of it, the magnitude of its size is spectacular. The intricate detail of every piece that has been decorated has been done to a superb standard, and can not be faulted in any way.

The steps were very steep and once I got to the top I was worrying about climbing back down, I don't feel that older folk or children should be climbing the steps as there is a very high risk that they may fall and hurt themselves.

As we did a dinner cruise I got to see this in the dark, It was truly breath taking as the whole thing was surrounded by a pinkish glow, similar to the Disney princess castle at Disney land. This is a sight that sound not be missed.

I would recommend seeing the temples together as they are so close together and it is a day that will cost you next to nothing, so for a whole day's entertainment give it a go.

I am one of these people who are not interested in museums or sightseeing, but I really enjoyed this and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

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